"I've always known what I was doing every single minute of every day so it is a bit difficult for me not to have my day planned out; when I'm going to eat, sleep and train.

"Sometimes it's quite nice. I'm going to take it day by day. You get a surprise day off here and there and you just enjoy it as much as you possibly can."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Leisel Jones swims to win the gold medal in the women's 100 metre breaststroke final at the Beijing 2008 Olympicsin 2008.

After announcing her retirement following the London Olympics in 2012, watching her comrades at Rio from the couch was "a little bit challenging".

"Sometimes you want to still compete because you're still a competitive person and I would have loved to have got up there," Jones told HuffPost Australia.

"I know I haven't done the work that they have, and I'm not willing to anymore. I like my life now. I'm certainly not willing to go back and sacrifice that so it's a bit of a Catch-22 really."

Finding your purpose outside of professional athleticism "finds you in good time" said Jones. The first few months of retirement never feel like retirement, just a holiday. And years on, the former Olympian said she's still finding her passion.

"Some people figure it out straight away, they knew what they loved when they were swimming as well. They had that balance and for other people, it just takes a really long time," Jones said.

"I'm still trying to figure it out."

Success has found a new meaning in Jones' post-pool life; she's realised it's tangible for everyone, and even herself each day.

"Before [success] was perfection and being the best and being number one but now I've gone back to the bottom and I'm learning again," Jones told HuffPost Australia.

The former Olympian has considered going back to beauty school to finish her diploma in beauty therapy, but for the moment the active swimwear range Jones co-founded with health and fitness PR duo Keri Kitay and Scott Henderson is taking up a lot of her boundless energy.

Supplied: ALL I SEA
ALL I SEA co-founders Keri Kitay, Scott Henderson and Leisel Jones.

The idea of an active swimwear range was born through a mutual frustration of outfit changing between the gym and the water. It was only fitting the trio met at the gym.

"We're all very active," Jones said.

"At the time we were all living in Bondi, and a lot of the time I was going down to the outdoor gym and would obviously have workout clothes and then would want to jump straight in the water."

ALL I SEA will be in stores in time for summer, and is bound to be a hit on Sydney's most famous beach.

"I'm certainly dreaming about people wearing the range," Jones said.

"It will be very different I guess because winning gold medals is very selfish; it's all about me and my achievement but it will be very flattering if someone loves our products as much as we do."

The former Olympian discusses openly becoming a successful business women, and toys with the dream of winning an Telstra Business Award with her co-founders.

She clearly didn't leave her competitive streak in the pool. But in another first for the 30-year-old, there is no plan beyond this.

"Usually I would plan my life to the miniscule little detail but I haven't really done that," Jones said.

"So I guess I don't know where it's going to take me. I'm kind of just going along for the ride for the moment."